Hey ladies!!

So we all saw this a few days ago (big thank you to TheSimpleImgurian!) and it just so happened that in my yoga class today we talked about how to relieve some of that annoying discomfort. Thus this album was born!

So to start off our quick pain-relieving session, lay on the floor on your stomach and then push up into Upward-Facing Dog. Remember to keep your abs tight to support your lower back. This is probably going to hurt a bit since the goal is to stretch out those cramped muscles. Just breathe through it and don't hold it longer than a few breaths.

Next is Child's Pose. This one is to start loosening the muscles around your hips and in your back. So if you start on all fours, put your heels as close together as you can and pull your hips back onto them. Most of the weight should be on your heels but make sure you stretch your arms out along the floor in front of you. Hold for as long as you like!

This one is great for loosening your back and relaxing yourself. Lay on your back and bring your keens to your chest. Hold your knees and then gently rock side to side, remembering to breathe. Again, you can do this for as long as you like.

From the rocking, put your feet back on the floor while keeping your knees bent. Let your knees fall gently to one side and keep your arms out from yourself. Again, breathing is important. Slowly bring your knees back up and let them gently fall to the other side. Hold on either side as long as feels good.

Bring your knees back up with your feet on the floor. Take one ankle and place it just above the other knee. Grab that knee and lift it up off the floor, pulling it toward your chest. If you like, you can straighten that leg. Slowly return both feet to the floor and repeat on the other side.

This is one of my favorites. It's call Happy Baby or Dead Bug depending on which text you read. Laying on your back, bring your feet up and grab onto either your calves, ankles, or (if you can) the arches of your feet. Pull your feet down into yourself and hold for as long as is comfortable. Try to keep as much of your back as possible in contact with the floor. This one is great for lower back pain!

Place your feet back on the floor with your heels together. Bring your feet in kind of close to your body and then let your knees fall to either side slowly. This one might hurt a bit since it's kind of a different stretch than many of us are used to. Again, the goal of this one is to let your hips and abs relax. As before, keep as much of your back as possible in contact with the floor.

This one is very similar to the previous one but you actually want to bring your feet in as close to you as you possible can. Focus on trying to get your knees to lay on the floor but don't force it. Hold this one as long as you want and keep breathing.

If you have a wall that's convenient, this is a good one for back pain as well. Basically, scoot as close to the wall as you can and essentially sit on it. There is some debate in the yoga community about it being good or bad to have your feet/legs/hips elevated during your cycle but it really is all your personal preference. If it's comfortable, do it, if it's not, then don't.